All By Myself
by TheSecretA
Summary: Johanna Mason goes out for a midnight walk and stumbles upon a mourning son of Hephaestus. Mentions of Jasper, Jeyna and Percabeth. Oneshot. Rated T for mild language. Takes place between TLH and SoN.


**All by Myself**

**I just randomly thought of this the other day when I was taking a PJO survey. I know I should be working on my other story LTYH, but I just really had to post this before I go MIA for a day or two. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or the characters of the Hunger Games. I'm just using them for the enjoyment of writing.**

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She slid under the cool covers of her new bed, the girl's brain reviewing the events of that day. _The kiss, the claim, being welcomed. It is all too good to be true,_ she thought. Growing up in a crowded orphanage was tough, and she often got in trouble at school, whether it was for insulting teachers, picking fights with fellow students, or getting kicked out of class for not paying attention. It wasn't her fault that she had this damn ADHD!

But for once in her life, Johanna Mason was happy.

Johanna slipped off her bottom bunk and rummaged through her trunk, (which, was quite hard to do in the dark) trying to find the cookies that her friend Peeta made for her in celebration of her claiming. _God bless_ _that son of Demeter! _She thought. The cookies were nothing compared to the cake Peeta baked for Johanna's best friend Katniss Everdeen, who was claimed by Apollo along with her sister Primrose earlier that day.

Finding her sugary treats and not wanting to disturb her siblings with her eating, Johanna quietly crept toward the wooden door of the cabin. _Now, where to eat? Oh! The steps of the Big House, _she thought. She could be hidden in the shadows there this time of the night. All she had to do was not get caught by Argus, head of camp security.

As Johanna made her way towards her destination, she heard a light sob.

"Who's there?" Johanna demanded. A slight rustling came from a nearby bush. She crouched down, held her breath, and pulled the branches apart. There he was, sitting in dirt with his hands covering his face. You see now, Johanna had only been at Camp Half-Blood for a few weeks, but she had never seen this boy cry. Heck, he could even be one of the happiest people on the Earth. But here he was, weeping while covered in leaves and grime.

Leo Valdez.

"What the Hades are you doing out here this time of night Valdez?" Johanna asked, surprised.

"I could ask the same thing to you Mason," Leo murmured.

"Come on Repair Boy, let's go. I'll help clean all the nature off of you," Johanna offered her hand.

"Why would you do that?" he sadly questioned.

"Cause we're just the best of friends!" Johanna exclaimed sarcastically. "No, seriously, can't you see that I'm trying to make an effort and be nice? Me being this pleasant only happens a few times a year, so please, before I get more annoyed, _take my damn hand_!"

Leo slowly nodded his head and grabbed Johanna's outstretched hand. The pair silently slunk across the Camp until they reached the Mess Hall. Johanna led him towards the girl's bathroom.

"Uh, Johanna?" Leo sputtered, looking uncomfortably into the girl's room.

"Mm?"

"Why are we going to the… female side of the hall?" Leo said awkwardly.

"Well, I'm a girl, and after all that crying I saw you doing in the bushes, I'm pretty sure that makes you feminine too." Johanna smirked matter-of-factly. Leo turned as red as a tomato. Awkward silence filled the room.

"So, what's going on with you?" she promptly stated.

"Oh, you don't want to hear about my problems," Leo said.

"C'mon. Spill the beans! Sometimes it helps talking to someone with a listening ear," Johanna persuaded as she used a cloth to wipe his face.

"Well… ok. So I've always felt guilty my whole life because I accidently killed my mother. Tonight is the anniversary of her death, and I couldn't help think that she would still be alive if it wasn't for me and my fire powers," Leo sniffed.

"Wow, oh, I'm sorry Valdez, I didn't know," Johanna apologized.

"And on top of that, Drew always bullies me. She called me an abnormal freak show that nobody loves or cares about, and I'm pretty sure she's right! Nobody wants me. I'm all by myself. Drew has Connor, Percy has Annabeth, and Jason could even possibly have two super-hot girlfriends. I'll never get a girl like Piper or Reyna. It just hurts so much when Drew tells me these things!" Leo cried.

"Well Valdez, Drew is a lying bitch, so don't listen to all the bullshit _she's_ putting in your head. And you are loved and you do have a family. You have great friends. Don't _ever_ forget that," Johanna clarified as she wiped the grime off of Leo.

"Thanks Mason. For you know, listening." Leo whispered. "And please, don't tell anyone about this."

"Fine, but I'll keep it in mind just in case I need to blackmail you," she playfully teased. Leo grinned.

"And Johanna?"

"Yes?"

"You're the softest child of Ares that I've _ever_ met," Leo smirked.

"That's what _you_ think. Just wait until we meet in the sword arena, and then maybe you'll change your mind." Johanna said wickedly.

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**I hoped you liked it. This is my first oneshot, and I'm pretty happy about it. I understand Leo is OOC, but that's because he's supposed to be mourning. And yes, this is the Johanna Mason from The Hunger Games. And Peeta, and Katniss and Prim. Duh!**

**Also, I was thinking about writing in a flashback part when Johanna has her first kiss with Gale Hawthorne, (who is by the way, a son of Hephaestus as well,) but I decided not to, so sorry! Leave reviews if you want to!**


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